Michael L. writes: A friend and I are planning on taking a motorcycle trip in late October from San Francisco to Copper Canyon and back. We're going to be riding large dirt bikes and should easily be able to travel any route passable by a four-wheel drive vehicle.

I was intrigued by a note in your book (on page 39) saying that an "unmarked four-wheel drive route goes from Los Alamos, Sonora, all the way to Bahuichivo and Creel. Your book refers your reader to your web site for "further details."

I've searched through your website, but can't really find anything about this route other than a trip note about some bicyclists who had problems with it.

Do you have any further information about an Alamos to Creel route?

Carl's reply: Yes, there is a route from Alamos to Creel, but for the life of me I've yet to get any really solid information about it. My inspiration for even mentioning this in The People's Guide To Mexico was a detailed description originally published on a Compuserve forum of a four-wheel drive trip made by someone in the 1980's. I tried to contact that person but never got a reply. Later, I passed this report on to a few people -- but only after making them swear a solemn oath to get back to me and tell me about their trip. None of them did, however, so this is just a long-winded way of telling you, Michael, that I don't have any details. All I can say is that it is "common knowledge" that yes, there is such a route, and that every year someone else promises to send me further info.

Don't let this stop you. In fact, it ought to make the trip even more interesting. My advice is simple: go to Alamos and ask around. Try not to be in a hurry -- if you find fuel on this route it will probably come out of a barrel. My guess is that experienced riders on strong bikes could do the trip in two days. But... that is just a guess.